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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think 7 is worse than terrible twos?!

51 replies

anticlock · 16/02/2022 16:00

Anyone out there with a 7 year old that is driving them up the wall?
She's been pretty good up until now, easy baby, lovely toddler, great through infant school.
Is it hormones or what?
She shouts, screams, is unreasonable. I have to ask her 10 times to do something and then find her wandering the house aimlessly instead of doing what I've asked her to do.
She does annoying things like winds the car window down on the motorway and won't put it back up till she's been asked numerous times and is generally defiant!
She's ratty when I wake her up at 7.30am even after 11 hours sleep.
And lately she just makes noise for no reason whatsoever. So she'll walk around singing "me me me me me me" or other made up words just so she can enjoy the sound of her own voice!
She's bossy with her little brother, constantly whinges about her friends at school, and just wants to go on her Nintendo switch 24 hours a day (she's only allowed this at the weekend)
Please reassure me that other people have 7 year olds that are driving them mad??!!

OP posts:
RedCandyApple · 16/02/2022 17:32

My 7 year old is so moany and constantly winds his sister up who is younger, making her cry. Its all day long, much prefer it when he was younger!

Northernsoullover · 16/02/2022 17:38

My beautiful older teen (18 now) was incredibly challenging from 8 - 15. He's absolutely lovely now. Nothing could have prepared me for having such an early onset of horridness.

GreenCareBear · 16/02/2022 17:40

I have a very challenging 2yo toddler and this thread isn’t very encouraging ShockGrin

WheelieBinPrincess · 16/02/2022 17:40

They can be incredibly negative at that age, and they still lack a lot of impulse control so do stupid stuff like cut their own hair or pour all the shampoo down the sink and then collapse on the floor to wail and protest their innocence and HOW DARE you accuse them?!

And bloody little miseries sitting wretchedly eating the breakfast you lovingly made them because you had the audacity to gently wake them up for school.

They’re very trying during this phase. I have worked with a lot of them but haven’t had the pleasure of my own being this age yet. I tend to be very over jolly and no nonsense, and failing that I’ll put some white noise over the top of them.

ElliotGoss · 16/02/2022 17:46

I taught Year 3 for years. They love drama and moaning. Year 5 are far more chill!

CoodleMoodle · 16/02/2022 17:55

DD is very nearly 8, and for the last year or so she's either been a perfect angel or an absolute beast. No in between, ever. She was an awful baby (CMPA so not her fault), a dream toddler once she started sleeping, and then up and down until about 6, but mostly fine. Coped well with a new brother, starting school, etc. Lockdown didn't help, homeschool was a nightmare.

The moaning is the worst bit, I think. And the negativity. It's never what she did well, it's the one bit she got wrong. She can't handle any sort of criticism, but she doesn't like praise either!

DS is 3 and he's a nightmare all of the time, so in comparison she doesn't seem so bad most of the time, but when she's in a strop or one of her bad moods... ooh, it's rough. We have our half term next week and I'm dreading having both of them for a week! They adore each other but argue all the time.

Solidarity, OP!

daisy46 · 16/02/2022 18:01

YANBU. 7 is really tough.

resipsa · 16/02/2022 18:04

@dannydyerismydad

Y2 and Y6 are the worst! Top of their key stage. Think they know it all (whilst probably also being terrified of the change to come and being bottom of the heap again).

All the stamping and shouting.

I have one of each and agree!
Mylittlepixie · 16/02/2022 18:06

Dc1 is 7 now and exactly like that. He was absolutely perfect until 2.5 years old. Then turned into a terrible toddler until he was 4ish. An absolute dream until about a year ago when he was almost 7. Im not sure whats worse tbh. The constant back talk, door slamming, yelling, swearing (sigh), defiance.. let it be over soon!
Im a little scared now because DD is 6… she was a terrible baby/ toddler and totally turned around when she was about 4. Has been a wonderful angel ever since! I dont trust the peace Smile

PotatoGoblins · 16/02/2022 18:10

My eldest is nearly 7 and I feel this deeply.
She suddenly become way harder to parent than the 5yo and the 2yo combined Confused
The defiance, the attitude, the having to be asked eleventy billion times to do/stop doing something, has an answer for everything, swans about the house like lady muck dishing out orders to everyone Hmm
Gin helps.

Snaketime · 16/02/2022 18:32

My 7 year old is like this, she is like a mini teenager. She is actually complaining right now, everything is "soooo unfair!" It's comforting to know we are not alone.

SlashBeef · 16/02/2022 18:35

I'm really surprised to read so many people experience this with 7 year olds. From about 5/6 onwards I've found my kids more enjoyable. Toddlers are just disagreeable little reprobates.

Minesril · 16/02/2022 18:43

My 7 year old is mostly awesome. There's so much we can do now: I took him to laser tag this morning which he loved, we play lego/k'nex for ages together. He adores his nearly 2 year old brother, they chase each other about. Grin

We're starting to introduce him to Harry Potter/Marvel, it's great reading/watching it all again through his eyes. Scenes which were hilarious in the cinema making him laugh out loud!

The whinging though, oh god the whinging. Just got home from centre parks with family: 'I don't want to be at home I want to be with nana.' For fucking ages. Hmm

GrandRapids · 16/02/2022 19:04

My almost 7 yr old is a whiny little sod at the moment. We don't have theatrics thank fuck, but it's just constant low level moaning. It's really wearing.

EcoCustard · 16/02/2022 19:04

Ds is 7 and ok at the moment however dd6 has become everything you describe. If this is a glimpse of the teenage years I am concerned, very concerned 😅. She was a dream baby and toddler in comparison to her siblings too…

Redroceritsover · 16/02/2022 19:12

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CoodleMoodle · 16/02/2022 19:29

@Minesril

We've been reading HP to DD, and it's great! She's also into Pokémon and a lot of other stuff we can get behind. She's the best when it's things like that.

It's when we're not doing something she likes that we seem to have problems!

CaveMum · 16/02/2022 19:31

I’ve found my people! My almost 8yo DD has been a nightmare for months. Honestly deserves an Oscar for the amount of drama she dishes out and my god the wailing like a banshee when ever she’s pulled up on her behaviour Hmm

Minimamame · 16/02/2022 19:38

Yes!! My 7 year old is driving us all mad and he was so good when he was younger. I’m hoping this will pass and my angel will return soon!!!

GrandRapids · 16/02/2022 19:40

@FailureToLurk

I'm somewhat ashamed to admit this but.

I don't like my 7 year old at all, I can't stand him. He's annoying, defiant, and just generally unlikable.

I love him, I'd never hurt him or neglect him. But given the choice to spend time with him or trap my tits in a vice, I'd choose the latter.

Omg this is amazing GrinGrinGrin
Whitefire · 16/02/2022 19:44

Oh yes the nightmare 7th year. Though my 10 year old is more of a teenager than the actual teenager (almost 16)

TheYearOfSmallThings · 16/02/2022 19:47

My DS(7) is very draining at the moment, and having spent too much time with his friends this half term, I can say that most of them are even worse. In his case it is not listening, vexatious negotiating, and always wanting to eat or do something other than the thing we are eating/doing. His friends are downright defiant, and these have always been good kids.

I think it is getting to me because I wasn't expecting it. I thought this age would be a pleasant continuation of the last few years, which in themselves were an improvement on the previous few years.

CaveMum · 16/02/2022 19:58

Followed @PedroPonyismyspiritanimal advice and found this. It makes a lot of sense!

www.parents.com/kids/development/adrenarche-and-puberty-everything-you-need-to-know/

aldilemonade · 16/02/2022 20:09

Thank god I thought it was just my Dd she is 7 next week and is driving us mad.
I adore her but my god she is hard work at the moment and i feel like i am always moaning about her behaviour lately.

Ghostofchristmaspasty · 16/02/2022 20:11

I have a 7yo and she is full of attitude, cheeky and hard work. In fairness she has always been like this though so 7 seems no different to me. She is also funny, Insightful and brave. I'm enjoying the flashes of her more grown up.

Is your 7yo overtired? Mine gets like this after a busy term. I'd also give her a tech break if that is causing issues

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